Rolls-Royce has opened a €30m-costing assembly plant for Mtu 2000 Series engines. The company says that the investment highlights future prospects for internal combustion engines using alternative fuels.
Located in Kluftern on Lake Constance, Germany, the new production facility, which currently employs 110 people, creates space for assembly and shipping.
“We are convinced that, in conjunction with sustainable fuels and new technologies, the internal combustion engine will play a central role in the future,” comments Dr Jörg Stratmann, CEO, Rolls-Royce Power Systems, who adds that it is the fuel that matters, not the engine.
Speaking at the official opening of the new plant, he confirmed that Rolls-Royce is focusing on developing engines that can run on a wide range of sustainable fuels, and that the company has already launched hybrid systems.
He adds that this will enable the company to provide climate-friendly propulsion technologies in the future for a wide range of applications where complete electrification is not an optimal solution in the long-term. “Renewable diesel (HVO/hydrogenated vegetable oil) is an important step on the road to decarbonisation,” he said.
“We are doing everything we can to make the internal combustion engine climate-neutral with sustainable fuels and in combination with new technologies. But this can only be achieved if the political framework conditions are set so that alternative fuels can be successfully ramped up.”
Incidentally, Mtu Series 2000 engine assembly was previously carried out at Friedrichshafen. Here, the production halls will be modernised to provide long-term production space for 4000 Series engines.
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